Robert Browning's 'My Last Duchess'

Has anyone ever prevented you from doing something you wanted to do? If yes, you are not alone as it happens to a number of people, and if not, it’s likely an acquaintance has. In Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess,” the Duke disliked the duchess’s behavior and eventually ended her life because he was extremely displeased and dissatisfied with not only her actions, but also with her nature. Browning exemplifies the Duke’s obsession for power in his marriage through his reaction to the last duchess’s actions. However, the Duke had his duchess killed, shockingly his response can be found not only in fiction or poems, but also in real life.
In Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess,” the Duke was discontent with the duchess’s behavior. He disliked the fact that she was impressed by …show more content…
Women were controlled and restricted from doing what they desired. Their husband tried to control their every move and succeeded. Both resulted in the woman to suffer, either physically, mentally, or both. However, the final reaction of these women differed given they occurred in different centuries. The Duchess was written in the mid nineteenth century and indicates that regardless of how women were treated, they didn’t dare to speak up or do something without the consent of their husband. They remained quiet and followed the order of their husband, which eventually lead to them being killed. The true story of the woman’s marriage was written in the early twentieth-first century and shows that the woman gained enough courage and willpower to leave her husband without asking for his permission. She took matters into her own hands and helped herself get the life where she had her rightful power back. Over the course of about two centuries, women have become brave enough to speak up against their husband, to truly speak their mind, and to do what they desire without seeking